Biosecurity partnership with NZ

Australia and New Zealand have joined forces, launching a new collaboration to strengthen biosecurity research.

The new collaboration between Australia’s Plant Biosecurity Research Initiative (PBRI) and New Zealand’s Better Border Biosecurity (B3NZ) will see a joint biosecurity network between the countries established to support the professional development of post-graduate and post-doctoral students.

The partnership will also focus on cross-sectoral projects on pre-border, at-border and immediate post-border biosecurity, and government, industry, research and academic players.

PBRI chair Greg Fraser said Australia and New Zealand were committed to working together to achieve benefits for both countries.

‘‘Trans-Tasman connections will be facilitated between key elements of our biosecurity research, development and extension systems,’’ B3NZ chair James Buwalda said.

As part of this collaboration, New Zealand biosecurity researchers will be invited to the inaugural Plant Biosecurity Research Initiative R&D Symposium being held on June 5 and 6 next year in Brisbane.

This follows the attendance by Australian biosecurity professionals at the third Better Border Biosecurity conference held in May 2018 in Wellington, New Zealand.

PBRI works with a number of national corporations including Agrifutures Australia, Grains Research and Development Corporation, Horticulture Innovation Australia Ltd and Wine Australia.